Mediks – Terminal / Lights [Audio Porn]

After the multi-faceted success of their second extended player on AudioPorn – the five-track ‘Fast Lane EP’ – Mediks return with a single that displays not only the collective’s considerable production prowess but also their ability to move freely between various tones and styles with apparent ease. The wildly varying couplet of ‘Terminal,’ featuring MC Texas’ vocal prowess and ‘Lights’ on the flip serve to conjure a majestic yin-yang effect, with undiluted tech- aggression in full display in the former and hands-in-the-air, rave-era euphoria with the latter. With a cross-genre appeal that few artists can match, Mediks continue to prove their mettle with emphatic dynamism only three releases deep into their fast-rising career in the game.

‘Terminal’ – (Ft. Texas)
Thematically, the single’s A-side is no mere random fusion of artwork, title and music: born from an impromptu laptop production session whilst waiting for a subsequently missed flight in a Norwegian airport terminal, the sense of the regimented yet grandiose vigour of flight culture is consequently and seamlessly captured in the full fifteen hour period it took waiting for the next departure. Opening with crisply refined snares and flickering arpeggios, ‘Terminal’ wastes no time in stripping back the layers, the listener left with laser-precise midwave-movement and Texas’ titular lyrics floating effortlessly above the arrangement. Descending into a hostile cocktail of bouncing synths and clicking percussion, ‘Terminal’ presents an undiluted assault that displays Mediks’ versatility in quality production no matter what style or BPM.

‘Lights’
‘Lights’ drops the brooding angst of the former as it lifts the tone to dizzying heights: rave-era synths, progressive piano chords and swirling atmospherics quickly make way for rolling hats and pulsating subs, with its primary riff a loving homage towards the Sega Megadrive, ‘Green Hill Zone’ era of yesteryear. The perfect, ecstatic set-ender.